Cat and hamster

[Mummyoftwo91]

Kitten is 4 months old, had the hamster for about 7 months now, when we got the kitten she wasn't interested in him at all but now she's obsessed with him, I moved his cage to where she couldn't get him but now she has figured out how to get there, what can I do to keep her away from him?

In truth, not much. Apart from having them in completely separate rooms that the cat can never enter. It is predator and prey.

I could put my hamster in the spare room but no one ever goes in there I would feel sorry for him that he's shut away on his own

I have a wire cage atm which leaves him exposed should she get her claws near him should I look to getting a more enclosed plastic cage instead?

We have had both at the same time.
We kept the hamster in the front room and shut the cat out whenever we weren't in there.
It worked, because we were consistent, but I wouldn't have a hamster and cat again.

Really unfair on the hamster. Why did you get a kitten when you already had a hamster?

Poor little hammy will be so stressed knowing there's a predator constantly nearby. I doubt he will last long under such stress. Can you keep them completely separate? He will still smell the cat tho.

The hamster is actually really interested in the cat and not scared at all which makes it harder as he's climbing the bars trying to be nosy, I think I will buy a different cage and see how I get on. I used to have a hamster and cat growing up and they never paid attention to eachother at all so I didn't see this being an issue when I bought the kitten

FWIW when I was 10 I was allowed a hamster and we had an older cat but who still actively hunted. The plan was for hammy to be in my room all the time, but he had be taken out every night due to the noise and our cat couldn't have cared less. Subsequently when I was 16 and we had 2 young cats I got another Hamster and again they couldn't have cared less, but even when the hammy bumped into the cats while in her ball.

If your hamster isn't bothered by the cat, then invest in a plastic cage with as little access for the cat as possible. If however the hamster is bothered then sit down and think whether you can split them up, not to the detriment of the hamster or whether you need to look at re-homing the hammy.

Thanks, I think I will try the cage first, hamster isn't bothered by the cat at all I fact he's a very social hamster and as soon as he sees her wants to have a look and sniff of her, he will climb the bars to try and get to her so hopefully an enclosed cage will protect him. I only let him out in his ball when she's shut out the room. Really don't want to rehome him

Just please make sure your hammy can’t get out the cage. We had a Houdini hamster. And a cat.

It didn’t end well.

That sounds like a good plan Mummyoftwo91 Your kitten is only 4 months, so is naturally exploring anything and everything that can be played with, investigated, sat on/in and generally being a kitten. It might all wear off as soon as it started, or you might be able to find something else to distract with. Maybe an automated laser toy might peek their interest? Cats and kittens can be so fickle so I wouldn't give up yet.

My cat used to sit on top of the hamster cage and the hamster would climb up, hang from the ceiling bars and nibble the cats claws. They both seemed to enjoy it!

Yep get an enclosed plastic cage, ...that's how I kept my cat and hamster apart. We had one of those Ferplast space station things. Hammy ran all over it but the cat could never find a way in.

I only let the kitten near the cage if I'm standing right there just incase but all they do is stare at eachother and sniff eachother, the hamster is really intrigued by her and not scared at all, going to get an enclosed cage this weekend